As I sit here and reflect on the many steps I took to get to this day I can think of nothing more than the amount of gratitude I have for all those who have helped me along the way. Becoming a board certified clinical pharmacy specialist was not where I saw myself 9 years ago when I started this journey. So that begs me to ask myself the question: What were my intentions?

Honestly, as a look back I have no idea. When I started my freshman year of college at the University of Georgia, I knew in my mind I was there to become a pharmacist. But why? The job did not seem too stressful. Pharmacists were among one of the most trusted professions and let’s face it, they made pretty decent money. I knew becoming a pharmacist would allow me to live the life I desired while still serving others as a part of the healthcare community.

However, as I progressed through freshman, sophomore and junior yea, I, like many other college students, began to question why did I choose pharmacy? Was this really for me? Was there anything else I could see myself doing with my life? While I have answers to some of these questions, there are others that still make me wonder.

Now that I have completed three years of prerequisites, four years of pharmacy school and two years of residency I can say every step I have made thus far provided answers to the question:  What were my intentions? From the classes I took, to changing my major 3 times, to my community service involvement, it was all necessary to make me the person I am today. Being intentional, specifically in my community service, allowed me to discover the area of pharmacy where I feel I can make the most difference in the lives that I touch. The hands-on experience with various populations drove home the message that no two people or patients are alike. As I start my first position out of residency in ambulatory care/primary care I will be sure to remember this during every patient encounter.

Whether deciding on a major or preparing for the next step in life, always remember to be intentional in all that you do. You will have many days where you question what you are doing or maybe even why, but keep you head and shoulders high and know it will all work out in the end. So I will leave with the poem below:

Have you ever taken the time to figure out what is your story?
Is it one of triumph, struggle or pain?
Happiness, love or refrain?

We all have a story, no matter the outcome,
But does your story define you and tell the person that you have become?

Or has it left you trying to find what is true?
Like the grass really green or the sky really blue?

Would your story have an impact on someone’s life
by uplifting and encouraging and offer ways you have overcome strife?

Will your story move mountains with the faith of a mustard seed
Or call people to fulfill a need?

Will it defend your convictions with life facts and examples
Or just give justifications for you actions?

When faced with the question
I will admit it caused hesitation

I want my story to define me
And give a final impression

No matter how young or how old
This should never affect the way your story is told

As long as you remain true to yourself
Everything else will align like the books on a shelf

Consider the story of a young girl,
Who stands 5’7” with a head full of curls,

Everyday she tries her best,
Even though she feels her life is a mess,

Externally her world is in order and everything has a place,
But internally she continues to seek life’s true embrace,

She knows she has the support of her family and friends,
But wonders will that be good enough in the end.

This girl has big goals and dreams,
But making the come true is harder than it seems.

No matter which way she turns,
She is faced with yet another stepping stone.

She has good days and bad,
And things in her life that make her happy and sad.

One day this girl became a college graduate,
And will one day use her knowledge to be a child’s advocate.

Her eyes have seen great joy and pain,
And she thanks God daily for her life would not be the same.

You may say this girl is fictional and untrue,
But I am here to tell you this girl is standing before you.

My story is filled with triumph, struggle and pain,
Happiness, love and refrain.

Pity is not what I ask you for,
But for my story to leave you wanting more.

After the day they I am long gone,
I want my story to be remembered and serve as a way for me to live on.

So tell me what is your story?

Zuri C. Hawkins, PharmD, BCPS is a clinical pharmacy specialist who recently relocated back to Fayetteville, GA. She can be found on Instagram @_simply_zuri